Die



H. lW. RIDDLE Nov. 2, 1937.

DIE

Filed Nov. 18, 1935 Patented Nov. 2, 1937 DIE Harvey W. Riddle, Worcester, Mass., assigner to The American Steel New Jersey,

and Wire Company of a corporation of New Jersey Application November 18, 1935, Serial No. 50,462

1 Claim.

This invention relates to dies, and more particularly those which are used for stranding metallic rope and the like.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a novel rope stranding die which will apply ample closing pressure to the individual members of a strand or rope without scratching or marring them, regardless of the solidity or hardness of the core upon which they are to be formed.

Another object is the provision of a novel die of the class described which will definitely space the individual members of a strand or rope.

Still another object is to provide a novel device which will operate to strand a rope in such manner that stretching tendencies in the resultant product are greatly reduced.

vIhe foregoing and further objects will be apparent after referring to the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of the device of the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional View on the line III-III of. Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numerals 2, 3, 4 and 5 designate four elongated segments which, when assembled, form the novel die of the invention. 'I'he segments 2, 3, 4 and 5 are so shaped that when assembled they provide a longitudinal bore 6.

As shown in Figure 1, the introductory end of the die formed of the elongated segments 2, 3, 4 and 5 is designated at 1. 'I'his introductory end is suitably ilared, as at 8, to provide for the introduction of the individual members of the rope into contact with the core member upon which they are to be formed.

Referring to the sectional view of Figure 3,7each of the segments 2, 3, 4 and 5 is provided with the end of a helical, or spiral, groove, as at 22, 23, 24 and 25, respectively. The inner adjacent ends o)f the segments 2 and 5 are proled to provide between them the end of a helical or spiral groove 26, while the corresponding ends of the segments 3 and 4 in like manner provide the end of a helical or spiral groove 21.

All of the grooves (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 21) are formed within the bore 6, are continuous, and are rifled or given a lead which is approximately the same as the desired lay of the :linished rope.

50 'Ihe core 30 of the rope to be stranded is introduced into the introductory end 'l of the assembled segments 2, 3, 4 and 5 with the individual surrounding rope members gathered about it. As shown in Figure 1, the individual surrounding rope members 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 31 are in this manner introduced into the ends ofthe grooves 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 21.

The segments 2, 3, 4 and 5 are preferably held together in such manner as to provide slight spaces between each other, and are rotated in any suitable manner. In Figure 1, I have disclosed a clamp 40 for holding the segments 2, 3, 5 4 and 5 in assembled relationship. The speed of rotation of the assembled segments should be the same as Ythe speed of the individual rope members 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 and 3l in` order that each of the latter will occupy its helical or spiral 10 groove.

Due to the large area of contact provided by the grooves 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 21 great closing forces (or pressures) are exerted on the individual rope members without scratching or marring 15 them, whereby there results a product having better appearance and greater durability. These increased closing forces (or pressures) also result in a more closely compacted product and therefore one in which stretching tendencies are 20 reduced.

It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the novel die of the invention may be composed of a varying number of segments and provided with a varying number of grooves; in 25 order that stranded ropes of varying characteristics may be produced.

While I have shown and described one specic embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modiiications may be made without departing from thel scope of my invention, as defined by the following claim.

I claim:

' A rotary die for metal cable or rope stranding 35 machine, said die having a bore constructed and arranged to provide a forming chamber at the entering end and the remainder of said bore comprising a twisting and compacting chamber or zone, said bore being provided with a plurality 40 of grooves in the walls thereof, said grooves equaling in number the outer strands, of the cable or rope to be formed and having a` spiral contour conforming to the spiral lay of the finished rope or cable to be formed by said die, said grooves and said bore flaring outwardly to provide said forming chamber, said forming chamber being adapted to receive the individual strands going to make up the cable or rope and guide them into said twisting and compacting chamber and said twisting and compacting chamber having a maximum diameter of not more than the finished cable, said die being adapted to be rotated to twist said strands around a core. 55

HARVEY W. RIDDLE. 

